JANUARY 2009

The journalists of Santiago celebrate the Day of Three Wise Men

The journalists of Santiago celebrate the Day of Three Wise MenA tradition

BREAKING NEWS: The Section of Santiago of the Dominican College of Journalists (CDP) will celebrate today the Day of Three Wise Men, party devoted to the children of the journalists. The president of the CDP, Nelson Peralta, invited the journalists and the redactors who belong to the union to take along their children in order to spend a good moment.

This type of meeting parents and children of journalists, allows the children as well as the family members of the journalists to be together, to know each together and to share good time, expressed Peralta.

He said that this celebration was a tradition that the journalistic institution he manages is carrying out every year in January in their buildings located in the sector of the Villa Olímpica, of Santiago.

Peralta informed that the party will start from the 15:30 at the House of the Journalist (Casa del Periodista).

There will be clowns, sugar refineries, delicacies and toys for the children and a representation of the group the Pirates of the Caribbean.

Santiago Live, 05.01.09

The trade union leaders and the company managers are confident

The trade union leaders and the company managers are confidentThe Dominicans will face the 2009 challenges

BREAKING NEWS: SANTIAGO. -Two trade union leaders and a company manager of Santiago said they were confident in what concerns the ability of the Dominicans to face the challenges that brings the New Year 2009. The declarations of the trade union leaders and of the company manager were emitted during interviews realized in the « Hechos y Gente » program, broad casted on the channel 25 every Sunday, and presented by the journalist Carlos Ramírez Báez.

They said that it will be necessary to increase during this year the salaries of all the workers and workmen of the public and private sectors.

Gabriel del Río Doñé, Elpidio de los Santos and the company manager Luis Salvador Estrella (Luichi) added that it was necessary to work for the national unity and that a common agenda should be proposed in order to create more work sources.

Del Río Doñé, secretary-general of the Autonomous Social Christian Confederation (Confederación Autónoma Social Cristiana (CASC)), explained that all the problems can’t be put in the hands of the government, and that the employers have to understand it is urgent to increase the workers salaries.

Finally he said that the dialogue was the best way to resolve all the problems.

Elpidio de los Santos declared that the approbation of the project that is in the national congress should be launched this year. This project modifies the laws of the general salaries’ increase, in order that, as in many other developed countries, they take place according to the increase of inflation.

Finally Luis Salvador Estrella, affiliate of the National Housing Bank (Banco Nacional de la Vivienda), said that the Dominicans have to show a positive attitude to face the national problems.

He explained that on the side of the National Housing Bank, all the initiatives will be supported, not only in order to build new houses but to reach a total development of all the sectors too.

Santiago Live, 06.01.09

Spirit Airlines expands Caribbean network with new service to Santiago

Spirit Airlines expands Caribbean network with new service to SantiagoUS $9 introductory fares

Miramar, Florida.- Spirit Airlines today announced that it is further expanding its Caribbean route network with the introduction of new service between its Fort Lauderdale home and Santiago, Dominican Republic. Beginning June 18, 2009, the ultra low cost carrier will offer four weekly flights to Santiago, Dominican Republic from Fort Lauderdale, including connections from 16 cities in the United States.

The new service to Santiago complements Spirit’s current service to Santo Domingo and seasonal service to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

The new service will be operated with Spirit’s fleet of Airbus A319s, the youngest in the Americas.

This new service is just the latest in Spirit’s commitment to continuing in our position as the largest and leading low cost carrier at our Fort Lauderdale home, says Spirit’s Chief Marketing Officer Barry Biffle. We’re thrilled to be even further expanding our network which already offers travelers service to more places in the Caribbean and Latin America than any other low fare, low cost airline.

I’m delighted Spirit airlines will be adding another international destination at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport serving the south Florida community, « said Kent George, Broward County Aviation Department Director of Aviation. We look forward to future air service expansions as the economy improves.

Cibao International Airport is pleased to welcome Spirit Airlines and we hope this new relationship is the strong beginning of a long-term relationship. We welcome them and wish them much success, said Ing. Félix Garcia, President Cibao International Airport in Santiago, Dominican Republic.

Santiago is located in the Dominican Republic’s central region, home to some of the country’s lushest and most fertile lands, as well as the stunning Cordillera Central mountain ranges and the Cibao Valley. Well endowed with rich soil and incredible natural resources, this region regularly attracts nature lovers, cigar connoisseurs and adventurers.

The city of Santiago is comprised of natives that prefer a less chaotic and more purposeful lifestyle.

Home to over 750,000 people, the heart of this laid back city proves to be a cultured downtown area.

Dominican Today, 12.01.09

Santiago and the « Barrio Seguro » Program

Santiago and the « Barrio Seguro » ProgramNew districts added

BREAKING NEWS: SANTIAGO.- The sectors of Nibaje and Villa Jagua, located in the southern part of the town of Santiago, were incorporated in the « Barrio Seguro » (Safe District) program supported by the government through the secretariat of Interior and Police.

These districts, inhabited by citizens coming from other populations, will be patrolled and supervised by two motorized units, informed the chief of the Regional Commando of the Police of the Cibao Central, Brigadier Eduardo Alberto Then.

The chief of the police declared that the two districts will be watched 24 hours per day to guarantee quietness and security of their inhabitants.

With the extension of the « Barrio Seguro » program in these sectors, the offences in this town of Santiago should be reduced ; expressed Then

The inhabitants greeted this measure because some of them were victims of the delinquency.

Santiago Live, 14.01.09

INFOTEP of the Northern Zone starts its plan for 2009

INFOTEP of the Northern Zone starts its plan for 2009103 thousand people trained in 2008

BREAKING NEWS: SANTIAGO. - The Northern Regional Management of the INFOTEP proposes to train a total of 120 thousand 798 people in the 14 provinces of the Cibao during this year.

According to the information offered by Manuel De León, director of the GRN, in the operational plan of this year one will lavish 439 thousand hours of instruction to carry out 6 thousand 711 formative actions.

During year 2008, all the programmed goals were achieved and one trained 103 thousand people in the dependences belonging to this Management and in the handing-over of certification which took place in December 2008, 687 technicians and foremen were graduated.

Among the offers of course for this year De León mentioned the Computer and Data Processing, Bakery and Pastry, Electric Fitting and Maintenance, Beauty and Hairstyle, Confection of Clothing, Hotel and Tourism, Commerce and Services and Livestock production sectors.

De León explained that INFOTEP worked with institutions of the public and private entitities which are also in the professional technical education sector, in order to give greater opportunities to the youth to be trained and to obtain a place on the job market or to undertake its own businesses.

By calling upon the young people and, in general way, upon people of any age, he said that to face the crisis which affects the world, the qualification was fundamental in the fight against unemployment and the social, cultural and economic marginality, this is why he reiterated that INFOTEP, without cost for the participants offers the opportunity to be trained in a great number of careers and course having a big demand on the job market.

Santiago Live, 15.01.09

Creation of 10 municipal ecological parks

Creation of 10 municipal ecological parksBotanical gardens

BREAKING NEWS: SANTIAGO. - Doctor Jaime David Fernández Mirabal, Secretary of Environment and Natural resources (SEMARN), announced the construction of 10 municipal ecological parks during the course of this year, which will be strategically distributed over all the national geography.

Regarding the province of Santiago, he said that they will create two botanical gardens, the first in the community of Jacagua and the second in the commune of Villa González, and which will be used as platform for the current Las Lagunas ecological park, a reserve devoted to the protection of the environment.

The civil servant indicated that in theory, other municipal ecological parks will be built in the provinces of San Francisco de Macorís, of Hermanas Mirabal (Salcedo), in the Southerner town of San Cristóbal, as well as in the commune of Haina, among others places, which will contribute to the balance of the environment.

He indicated that this project, just like the plantation of 20 million trees of various species, are the principal axis of this portfolio for the year 2009 as well as making people respecting Law 64-00, on environmental protection and on natural resources.

Santiago Live, 18.01.09

Preparations for the line between Santo Domingo and Santiago

Preparations for the line between Santo Domingo and SantiagoThe Haina-Santiago train will have a tracking of 125 kilometers

BREAKING NEWS: The building work of the second line of the Subway and of the Haina-Santiago train is progressing.

Yesterday, Engineer Diandino Peña, director of the Office for the Reorganization of Transport, met with municipal, provincial and congresses authorities of Santo Domingo and Santiago. During this meeting, Peña revealed that for the moment, the cost of the first line of the Subway was of 24 billion pesos. But the sum would still increase because part of work is missing.

The cost of the first line of the Subway of Santo Domingo did not exceed the 695 million dollars, said the director of the Office for the Reorganization of Transport.

Peña talked to the journalists, after having directed a meeting with municipal, legislative and government authorities, of the provinces of Santo Domingo, San Cristóbal and Santiago, during which he gave details on the second line of the Subway and of the Haina-Santiago train.

He added that the meeting fulfilled the requirements of the Law on public tender, which requires organizing public sessions with the representatives of the concerned Communities.

He said that once the private sector would support and would be able to undertake the project, the Opret will present it to the public opinion in a more detailed way.

The second line of the Subway will have 28 kilometers and 29 stations between San Luis and Los Alcarrizos. The Haina-Santiago train will have a tracking of 125 kilometers. The stops will be located at Los Alcarrizos, Villa Altagracia, Bonao, La Vega and Santiago.

He indicated that the second line of the Subway of Santo Domingo will have its terminus at Los Alcarrizos, where one will build a connection station from which the train for Santiago will leave. He said that if work were carried out, the town of Santiago would be then at 30 minutes of the Capital.

Santiago Live, 21.01.09

The Madre y Maestra Pontifical Catholic University graduates 912 professionals

The Madre y Maestra Pontifical Catholic University graduates 912 professionalsHigh education

BREAKING NEWS: The Madre y Maestra Pontifical Catholic University dedicated the birth date anniversary of Juan Pablo Duarte to its handing-over of the diplomas of the year. Monseigneur Agripino Núñez Collado directed the ceremony during which 912 people received their titles accrediting pre-diploma, diploma and master studies.

The ceremony took place at the university, in the presence of the president of the Senate of the Republic, Reinaldo Pared Pérez; the holder of the Central Electoral Board, Julio César Castaños; Archbishop Ramón Benito de la Rosa y Carpio and Bishop Nicanor Peña, as well as Guillermo Moreno and his partner Aura Celeste Fernández, judge at the Central Electoral Board.

543 women (59.54) and 369 men (40.46) received academic titles which guarantee the achievement of the various programs of the university.

The Faculty of Social and Administrative Sciences concentrates the greatest quantity of graduates with a total of 316 people. With this promotion, the total of the people graduated form this university is 53,768.

The central speech of the ceremony was made by Adriano Miguel Tejada, director of the Diario Libre Newspaper, who spoke of the life and the heritage left by Juan Pablo Duarte, without forgetting to mention the daily challenges like the narco traffic, the intra-family violence and the corruption which in his opinion are harmful for the development.

While making his speech at the university where he was himself teaching, Tejada spoke in praise of the female population. 55% of the university population is women. What is missing now, it is the equality on the level of the wages

Adriano Miguel Tejada is author of several books, lawyer and journalist.

Santiago Live, 26.01.09

Carnival of Santiago

Carnival of SantiagoThe set up of the sales points of accessories started

BREAKING NEWS: SANTIAGO. - The people who is in charge of the sale of carnival accessories started yesterday to put their stands on the various roads and streets of the city.

At few days of the beginning of the celebrations of the Carnival which include every year splendid colored processions, we can already see the sales points of costumes, masks, whips and other traditional accessories of the carnival.

Positivism and dynamism, in spite of the global economical crisis, are present among the salesmen, who say that they hope to make good deals during these days.

They explain that the carnival accessories underwent increases in price compared to the previous years, by underlining that a costume could cost according to the size till 700 pesos and that the masks’ prices increased by 25 to 30 pesos.

The rehearsals of the groups and the masquerades will start as of Sunday February first in Santiago and in most of the national territory.

Santiago Live, 30.01.09